This invention relates to aspirators and aspirator assemblies, and particularly to such having an adaptor tip configured for coupling to suction hoses of three distinct sizes.
In offices or other buildings provided for use by dentists, oral surgeons, or other medical personnel, these buildings are designed to furnish certain utility services to the several offices, the utility services including fresh water, pressurized air, and vacuum or suction. A difficulty with these utility services (and this invention is principally concerned with the provision of the vacuum or suction service), is that the fittings and connecting hoses are not of standard size so that the supplier of equipment adapted to be attached to such utilities services is faced with the task of providing multiple forms of his devices suitable for use with the several different forms and sizes of service fittings provided.
Where the building facilities occupied by such medical personnel do have built in utilities service, portable systems may be employed; and again these systems do not have standardized fittings so that the utility hoses may be of different size.
The present invention is concerned with evacuation systems, that is utilities systems or services which provide vacuum or suction pressure; and it is common for such systems to employ three different sizes of suction hose which are referred to herein as small hose, medium hose and large hose.
A principal object of this invention is to provide an aspirator having an adaptor tip to enable the coupling of the aspirator to suction hoses of three distinct sizes.
Another object of this invention is to provide an aspirator assembly including separable base, tip, and reciprocating plunger components with the plunger functioning to dislodge tip clogging particles.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an aspirator assembly including separable base, tip, and reciprocating plunger components, wherein the base in separated condition also functions as an aspirator tip.
A further object of this invention is to provide an aspirator tip assembly including a base having an adaptor tip, with the base functioning as a supporting or handle member for other components of aspirator tip assemblies.
A still further object of this invention is to provide an aspirator assembly including separable base, tip, and reciprocating plunger components and also including a wash water conduit and control valve for discharging wash water at the aspirator nozzle.
These objects are accomplished in aspirator apparatus which comprises an elongated tubular member, having an adaptor tip fixed permanently thereto at one end. The adaptor tip has a smaller diameter portion at its distal end, and has an axially extended cylindrical enlargement spaced from the distal end. The smaller diameter portion includes a tapered portion reducing in diameter toward its end, and which is adapted to the received and retained in a small diameter resilient flexible conduit. A tubular adaptor has a slightly tapered internal bore which is dimensioned, in relation to the cylindrical enlargement, for frictional coupling therewith; and has an outer diameter adapted to be received and retained in a large diameter flexible conduit. The adaptor has an external radial flange at one end; and the tapered bore is larger at the flanged end of the adaptor and smaller at the opposite end.
The other end of the tubular member may function as an inlet nozzle for the aspirator apparatus. Also the tubular member may function as a base component for aspirator assemblies including different forms of tip components, which tip components then provide the aspirator inlet nozzles and are coupled to the base component with a sliding friction fit.